Victorians

In 1858, Charles Darwin announced his origins theory.  The complete theory was published in his book On the Origins of Species, 1859.  His concepts had a profound effect upon religion, government and recording life.

His theory of evolution by natural selection essentially states that the young born to any species compete for survival. Those that survive pass on favorable natural variations through heredity. This gradual and continuous process is the source of the evolution of species. Darwin also introduced the concept that all related organisms are descended from common ancestors, and provided additional support for the older concept that the earth itself is not static but evolving.

There was no science concerning man, no Anthropology until the 1890's.  Religion still had a powerful influence.  But, in the 1870's, collectors of art and protocol, the Victorians, turned to collecting ancient people artifacts.  This was directly spurred by Darwin's Theory.

In 1873, the race for artifacts plowed to California.  First was Paul Schumacher representing the Smithsonian Institution and the Peabody Museum.  Next came Dr. Harry Crecy Yarrow with the United States Army Core of Engineers.  Then came other countries, but primarily Leon de Cessac funded by Alphonse Pinart of France.  

Schumacher and Yarrow agreed to split their efforts. Schumacher went to the Santa Barbara Islands.  Yarrow explored the mainland.  Yarrow ultimately dug and removed over 15 tons of artifacts.

Cessac raided Schumacher's Santa Cruz sites boasting that he used "money, discretion, and whiskey." to get access.  Digging was fast, brutal, and destructive.  In time Cessac's funding became exhausted, but he still continued.  He plundered over 3000 artifacts many now held in Musee De l'Homme in Parris.  Other countries did the same.  It is hard to imagine, what was done for science, was mostly a desecration of Chumash life and religion- right before their very eyes.  Chumash belongings can be found throughout the world- Russia, England, Spain, America, etc...